The local daily thought enough of the new Guelph Civic League (GCL) that it devoted a long story on page three to the opening of its new website.

The story quoted the GCL spokesperson as saying that the new League would devote its energy to “educating” and encouraging voters in a respectful and responsible manner.

Goodness! Is this the same organization that fire-bombed former Mayor Kate Quarrie with lies, misrepresentation and dirty tricks in 2006? Remember the tub-thumping about the “Big Pipe” that was supposed to bring water from Lake Erie and ruin the environment? Or mayoralty candidate Karen Farbridge pledging to put Guelph “back on track?”

But the big lie was the Farbridge promise to build a new downtown library.

Instead, we got a $52 million white elephant waste management processing plant and collection system that nobody voted for. The irony is the $15 million collection system doesn’t serve 6,400 residences. It’s because the city has refused to collect their garbage and the owners must pay private contractors to remove their unsorted waste. On top of that, they must pay for garage pick-up in their property taxes.

Added to that the administration spent $16 million renovating the derelict Loretto Convent building owned by the Diocese of Hamilton, converting it into a civic museum. The cost overruns on that project may never be known.

Is this the same GCL that obtained a Trillium Foundation grant of $135,000 toward an allied organization called 10 Carden Street? That incorporated entity happens to be located in the same address — 10 Carden Street – as the GCL. Is that only coincidence? Or are the taxpayers of Ontario paying to support a left wing political action group?

The weakness of the new GCL is that they must now defend the sad sack administration of Mayor Farbridge. It’s a little different than in 2006 when they attacked the Quarrie Administration with hob-nailed boots.

Now it’s koombaya time? Don’t be misled.

This election is not about left wing or right wing politics as the new GCL said and, sadly some in the media would like you to believe it. It’s about policies that have created a financial disaster. Policies that have seen record spending on questionable social engineering projects that the taxpayers didn’t ask for or wanted.

It’s about seven years of a virtual dictatorship by the Farbridge dominated council.

There is one truly dedicated citizen’s organization that is growing daily and is not dependent of government or union handouts for financing. GrassRoots Guelph provides a home for those thinking citizens who realize the mess the city has become. It’s needed because of self-serving projects promoted by a group of elected and senior staff that has demonstrated incompetence in managing even picking up Christmas trees.

Civic politics is about fixing the potholes, making sure the water is potable and the waste is removed. It’s about meaningful support of Canadian culture, providing affordable housing and social services and doing it in the open where taxpayers can properly judge their performance. It’s about keeping taxes and user fees at a level that all taxpayers can afford.

Has that happened in the past seven years?

In the coming months, the tawdry record of this administration will be laid out for all to see and judge. Warning, the list will be long and not pretty.

But we can depend on the new GCL to deny, deflect and ignore the truth.

They have no other choice, as they soon will discover

Join GrassRoots Guelph today and learn the truth of how our city has been mismanaged financially, secretly and fatefully. It free and simple. Send your name, address, email address and telephone number to grassrootsguelph2014@gmail. com. Your personal data will be in a secure database and only used to communicate with members. GrassRoots Guelph is non-partisan, non-profit and incorporated.

7 responses to “Is the new Guelph Civic League any better than the old?”

The GCL had their own pretty unique phone campaigns happening in the last election all underhanded. In a face to face conversation I asked a female member of the GCL IF in fact the ‘league’ had ANY political affiliations — and she said ‘no’..that outta tell you the credibility of this so called organiation

Lets not forget the person who started the GCL and the bush league attacks on Kate Quarrie – that so called artist James Gordon. He managed to get a Trillium grant of over $100,000 by claiming the GCL purpose was to “increase” voter turnout.
And what about one time COMMUNIST PARTY CANDIDATE ALLAN PICKERSGILL who writes a weekly column in the Tribune. Does that mean Chris C is also a supporter? He managed to drag the Wilson/Ingram farmhouse issue back to Mayor Quarrie’s time. That is B*****t and I challenge him to show that this item was ever brought forward in her term of office. Full blame for this lies with Farbridge and her supporters on Council. The issue shows the hypocrisy of Farbridge and her cabal. It is fine to stick a heritage designation on private property owners. But just let one of the city owned properties be designated and watch the Politicians squirm.
I have to admire the brilliance of the developer who “donated” this sacred cow to the City and showed the true hypocrisy of Farbridge. L. Piper and the rest of the loyal supporters of this left wing hypocritical agenda.
It is unfortunate that the City is so poorly served by both the Mercury and the Tribune.

But one has to admit that “..a heritage designation…”(?) for some crummy “…farmhouse…” (done twice)distracted voters so that they paid little or no heed to the financial fiasco that was to come and has been realized and voted for “…Farbridge and her cabal…” in two elections.david.birtwistle@sympatico.ca